I never let summer go by without making vegan Fried Green Tomatoes. They are golden and crispy on the outside and melt-in-the-mouth delicious!
Table of Contents
Crispy vegan fried green tomatoes
Fried green tomatoes are a classic and iconic dish from the American south, synonymous with summer and comfort cuisine. It is easy to see why: green tomatoes have an exquisite, unusual sweet-tartness and a firmer texture than ripe tomatoes. Smothered in cornmeal and fried up in a cast iron skillet, they become crispy on the outside while the insides become warm and gooey.
Making these is as simple as can be: slice the tomatoes and make an assembly line of a flax egg mixture and cornmeal. Dunk the tomato in each before frying. It shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes to get from scratch to done.
This is truly a seasonal treat and summer, when green tomatoes can be harvested from your own vegetable garden or bought at farmers' markets, is the perfect tine to enjoy these vegan fried green tomatoes alongside other treats as green tomato stew and green tomato dal.
The word "fried" might make you think this is an unhealthy recipe but in fact the tomatoes are shallow-fried, not deep-fried, and they absorb very little oil. This is also a gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe. If you are a low-carb vegan I have suggestions for making a low-carb-friendly version in the FAQs below.
Serve these fried green tomatoes as a side dish, snack or appetizer. Or stack them inside sandwiches for a scrumptious but light lunch. One thing's for sure - you'll be back for more!
Recipe card
Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large green tomatoes (cut into ⅓rd to ½-inch thick slices. Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and ground black pepper and set aside for five minutes on a rack)
- 4 tablespoons flaxmeal (if using tapioca starch use 6 tablespoons)
- ⅔ cup non-dairy milk (can use vegetable stock instead)
- 2 teaspoons thyme (divided)
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder (divided)
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder (divided)
- 1 cup stone ground cornmeal (or almond flour for low-carb version)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil (or cooking spray, for frying)
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl large enough to hold the tomato slices, whisk the nondairy milk, flaxmeal, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 ½ teaspoons thyme and salt and ground black pepper to taste. If the mixture feels too thick thin it out with more milk, but keep in mind you want the mixture to be thick enough to coat the tomato slices.
- Place the cornmeal in another shallow bowl. Whisk with the remaining garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and paprika.
- Dredge each slice of tomato in the milk-starch mixture to coat it, and then in the cornmeal so the slice is coated on all sides.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet and coat the bottom with oil. Fry each slice of tomato for about five minutes on each side over medium-high heat, or until golden-brown. Flip over and cook the other side.
- Remove to a dish lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with some more salt and pepper when hot, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Flaxmeal: when mixed with nondairy milk you get"flax eggs," which simulate a texture that's very similar to the texture of eggs. These flax eggs are a great egg substitute for my vegan recipe. If you can't use flaxmeal, use six tablespoons of tapioca starch instead to help the cornmeal adhere to the tomatoes.
- Green tomatoes: Use any large, round variety for the best results. I used beautiful heirloom tomatoes I am growing this year.
- Ground cornmeal. You can also use a half-and-half mixture of panko bread crumbs and cornmeal, but use cornmeal to keep this recipe gluten free. When I want a low carb version of this recipe I use 1 cup finely ground almond flour instead of the cornmeal.
Nutrition Information
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How to make vegan fried green tomatoes
- Slice the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on a rack for some of the moisture to drain out, about five to 10 minutes.
- In a shallow bowl large enough to hold the tomato slices, whisk the non-dairy milk, flax meal, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 ½ teaspoons thyme and salt and ground black pepper to taste. If the mixture feels too thick thin it out with more milk, but keep in mind you want the mixture to be thick enough to coat the tomato slices.
- Place the cornmeal (or almond flour, if making the low-carb version) in another shallow bowl. Whisk with the remaining garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and paprika.
- Dredge each slice of tomato in the flax-milk mixture to coat it.
- Dredge the green tomatoes in the cornmeal so the slice is coated on all sides.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet and coat the bottom with oil. Fry each slice of tomato for about five minutes on each side over medium-high heat, or until golden brown.
- Flip over and cook the other side. Remove to a dish lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with some more salt and pepper when hot, if desired. Serve hot.
Top tips
- Sprinkle the tomatoes after slicing with salt and pepper and let the slices stand for a few minutes on a rack to drain out some moisture.
- Fried green tomatoes are best eaten fresh off the skillet, because they tend to soften as they stand, because of the moisture in the tomatoes. If you have leftovers, be sure to crisp them up on the skillet or in the oven before serving.
- Cut the tomatoes into thick slices--about ⅓rd to ½ inch thick. This way they'll get the perfect texture and will be easy to flip on the skillet.
- If you like a little extra spice in these fried green tomatoes, add up to a teaspoon of cayenne or a teaspoon of creole seasoning when making the flax mixture.
Recipe FAQs
Fried green tomatoes are crispy and crunchy on the outside because of the cornmeal/almond flour coating, and they are soft and sweet-tart on the inside. It is really a unique tasting treat.
Fried green tomatoes are most associated with southern cuisine but according to many accounts they were unheard of in the south until as late as the 1990s, when the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" based on a book by the same name popularized them. According to this article in the Smithsonian magazine, they were brought into America by Jewish immigrants.
To air fry the tomatoes, after coating them in cornmeal, place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the tops with oil. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees and air-fry 3-4 minutes on either side or until golden-brown.
To make these low carb use 1 cup finely ground almond flour instead of cornmeal.
The low-carb version has five net carbs per serving of two slices. It is extremely delicious, so even if you're not low carb you might want to try it.
Fried green tomatoes are often served with a remoulade, which is a mayo mixed with herbs, pickles and capers. When in a hurry I just mix up my vegan mayo with horseradish, a pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper, and it's delicious.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Or flash freeze the fried green tomato slices on a baking sheet, then place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to three months. Reheat refrigerated and frozen green tomato slices on an oil-coated cast iron skillet or non stick skillet until crispy again.
Anne says
There is no place near where I live that sells green tomatoes. I grew up eating fried ripe tomatoes, and I found that this recipe works with ripe tomatoes, also.
Vaishali says
It's the same for me. The only way I can make these is when I grow my own tomatoes in summer. 🙂 So happy the recipe worked out with ripe tomatoes as well--thanks for sharing!
Marie says
Vaishali, thank you for this recipe! My husband and I love fried green tomatoes! This recipe is great! I make my own vegan mayo that tastes like Miracle Whip (I grew up with that) but is totally healthy. Then I just used it to make my own version of a Chipotle Mayo (not real spicey) to dip the fried green tomatoes in and it was so good with them. Thank you for all you do.
Vaishali says
Hi Marie, your version with homemade mayo sounds awesome. What a lovely idea. 🙂
Molly says
This version is really easy I appreciate only having 2 dipping steps instead of 3. I did not have cornmeal and I used garbanzo flour instead. I think the texture could have been a tad better, but its my fault
Vaishali says
Hi Molly, you really need the coarseness of the cornmeal to help the tomatoes crisp up on the outside! 🙂
Yvonne says
Delicious! Made exactly as written. I love the ingenuity of the tapioca starch/non-dairy milk batter. The flavor on these was so tasty. My kids dipped in ranch and ketchup and pronounced them "the best". Thank you for a great recipe!
Vaishali says
So happy to hear, Yvonne!
Chanda says
Fabulous!!!! Even my non-tomato eating 6 year old loved them. I added a bit
of cayenne and paprika and also double battered.
Vaishali says
Sounds awesome!
Wendy says
DELISH! It’s that time in the garden when tomatoes are getting big but not ripening quite fast enough and may “go bad” if left on the vine too long...especially if we go out if town for a few days and the garden is left to its own devices! In other words, FRIED GREEN TOMATO TIME! I experimented with my air fryer using this recipe and it was phenomenal! I lightly sprayed the tray with canola oil, loaded the tomatoes and fries about 4-5 mins on one side. Then I lightly sprayed the top side of each tomato, turned them and fried for another 2-3 minutes, checking frequently! So crispy and flavorful! I’m amazed at how sweet green tomatoes taste! Thanks and happy cooking, all?
Wendy says
My rating
Vaishali says
Thanks, Wendy. 🙂
Lucy says
Love !!!
Vaishali says
Thanks. 🙂
PamelaB says
Oh! Fried green tomatoes always make me think of my Grandma. She was not only an avid vegetable gardener, but avid about all plants, indoors & out.
Thanks to her I grew up eating all kinds of veg...even the odd ones for our part of the country. She’d spend cold winters days perusing multiple seed catalogs.
Many times I’ve wished I paid better attention while she was alive so I’d be better at growing plants myself. Thanks for a trip down memory lane with her today. (Fried green tomatoes were always a part of life with her)
I’ll be trying this recipe!
The Cooking Lady says
I love this dish, as does my daughter. We have made them recently and after seeing this, will again soon.
Vaishali says
Hi Roshani, glad you tried it. About your questions, the reason you dip the tomato into the soymilk, then flour, then flaxmeal, then cornmeal is to ensure that each layer adheres evenly to the surface of the tomato, so you get a crispy result. The milk is the glue that binds the flour to the surface, and the flaxmeal-water is the next coating that glues the cornmeal to the surface. If you mix it all up, you won't get an even coating and therefore the resulting tomato will be soggy instead of crisp.
As for adding the salt and pepper, the recipe does ask that you sprinkle salt and pepper on the tomatoes before dipping them and then again at the end. I find that when you add it to the flour, you end up using a lot of salt and pepper and yet the tomatoes don't taste salty and peppery enough at the end. By sprinkling at the end, you get more of the taste punch with less salt and pepper.
Hope that helps. Enjoy Boston! 🙂
Roshani says
Delicious Vaishali! I just picked green tomatoes from my friend's garden in Boston and we enjoyed trying this recipe!
A few questions, what would happen if you mixed the flour, corn meal and milk instead of dipping it in one at a time? What do you think in terms of adding salt and other spices into the mixture, instead of putting it on top?
Thank you again for sharing this wonderful summertime recipe!